WATTS: Heron survives near-fatal landing at Kensington

A great blue heron returned to Kensington Metropark on Friday after it was nurtured back to health following the bird’s unexpected encounter with ospreys at their nest last week.

Denise Semion of Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority said birders watching the attack from the east side of the lake called Heavener Canoe in Milford for help.

Nick Rudofski, of Heavener Canoe and osprey watcher Lou Waldock paddled a canoe to the injured bird and then took it to the Howell Nature Center’s Wildlife Clinic where staff attended to its head wound and treated it for shock.

Semion said the bird recuperated for a week at Howell Nature Center before being cleared to return back to the park.

Officials from Kensington Metropark and Howell Nature Center then released the bird from the boardwalk on Wildwing Lake where it flew away and landed on the water to rest. Semion said the blue heron flew over to the nearby rookery.

“We are grateful for our osprey watchers, as well as Heavener Canoe and Howell Nature Center, who all pitched in to help this beautiful bird return to Kensington,” Kimberly Jarvis, Huron-Clinton Metroparks western district park superintendent, said in a release.

Controlling mute swansA wild swan is on a state agency’s hit list after Michigan bird experts said the state’s mute swan population tripled in the last decade to more than 15,000.

State officials said the mute swans crowd out other birds, including the endangered trumpeter swan.

The Barry County Board of Commissioners recently voted to allow the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to begin a five-year program to eradicate the mute swan by shooting them.

Board chairman Craig Stolsonburg said the DNR approached the commissioners with the plan, and a resolution was approved by the board.

“They came to us, and said they were having a difficult time obtaining 70 percent of lake owners’ approval in order to take care of them on a lake-by-lake basis,” Stolsonburg said in a release. “They wanted a countywide resolution to allow them to do it without the 70 percent required.”

Stolsonburg voted against the resolution.

“I felt like we were taking away the individual property owner rights and the township rights to deal with it on their own -- or even the lake associations,” he said. “I live on a lake and haven’t had any personal negative experience with the mute swans.”

The county’s lawyers are looking into the legality of the county resolution, which does offer townships an opt-out clause within 60 days of approval.

However, Stolsonburg said the townships have not yet been notified of the resolution, which was approved more than two weeks ago.

Barry County’s many lakes and wetlands offer ideal nesting conditions for mute swans, which can grow to 25 lbs., according to Kara Haas, Environmental Education coordinator for Michigan State University’s Kellogg Bird Sanctuary.

“Mute swans are good breeders and they’re quite aggressive, so they’re not afraid to kick other birds out and take over the best spots,” said Haas, who noted the endangered trumpeter swan is native to Michigan.

“There are about 800 trumpeter swans left in Michigan,” Haas said. “They’re slightly larger than mute swans and will aggressively push back at the mute swans, but as that mute swan population keeps growing, it’ll get more difficult because the trumpeters could push the pair away and another is right behind them.

“I love all birds, and I don’t want to have a state of just mute swans,” she continued. “I’d like to have a state with biodiversity among our birds. We still have loons, we still have trumpeter swans, (and) we still have mergansers (ducks).”

Paddlers take top awardsPaddlers from Michigan and Ohio took top honors at the Third Annual Canoe and Kayak Race at Kensington that took place on Sunday, Aug. 4.

The race was open to all skill levels, canoes, and single and double kayaks. Races were divided into the following categories: recreational for boats shorter than 14 feet; sport for boats 14 feet to 17 feet; competition for boats 17 feet to 18.5 feet built specifically for racing; and surf-ski.

First, second and third-place winners received medals. Everyone was entered to win $50 gift certificates from REI and Riverside Kayak Connection.

Student Scholarship ProgramThe St. Clair Shores Waterfront Environmental Committee in cooperation with the We Are Here Foundation, Inc. and State Representative Sarah Roberts is offering at least three competitive awards of $500.00 scholarships for outstanding Class of 2014 senior high school students who either live in St. Clair Shores or attends high school in St. Clair Shores.

Deadline for receipt of all application materials is 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 29, at the St. Clair Shores City Clerk’s office.

The funding for these scholarships is from the We Are Here Foundation, Inc. and State Representative Sarah Roberts.

The recipients of the scholarship awards will be selected by the Waterfront Environmental Committee’s Scholarship Subcommittee. The scholarship money must go towards tuition at a 4 year university or 2 year degree program.

To be considered for the Scholarships, applicants are asked to submit: Completed application form including your typed, double spaced answers to the eight questions on separate sheets; one letter of recommendation on school letterhead from one of your current or past teachers; and applicant involved in at least one of the St. Clair Shores Waterfront Environmental Committee’s projects like the Nautical Coast Cleanup, Storm Drain Stenciling or I-94 Cleanup.

For more information, call (586) 774-4750.

Just a reminderThe Bassmasters is coming to Lake St. Clair Metropark on Aug. 22-25. … Application period for antlerless deer licenses is open through Aug. 15. Visit www.michigan.gov/huntdrawinings. … Ste. Clair Voyageur Group Meeting is 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at the Lake St. Clair Metropark Nature Center in Harrison Township. Preregistration not required. Call (586) 463-4332.

Tom Watts writes a weekly outdoors column for 21st Century Media. Contact him at tomwattsoutdoors@gmail.com.